1)Set as a platform for people to show their unhappiness EG: Tibet,North korea,Africa,US etc.
2)Rare opportunity to seize the spotlight and address important world issues EG: Like unhappy with certain rules,politics.
Cons
1)Not effective in achieving the aim of boycott. EG: Cambodia, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon did not help solve the Suez Crisis at all by boycotting the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
2)More problems arises. EG:The U.S.-led NATO countries’ boycott against the 1980 Moscow Olympics failed to persuade the “evil state” of the U.S.S.R. to back off, and only caused 15 Warsaw-pact nations to boycott the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles four years later.
3)Sacrifice the innocent party. EG:The only victims penalized were the innocent athletes whose entire careers culminate in the Games. It’s easy for the rest of us to sacrifice the life-long efforts of someone else to satisfy our desire to “speak up,” but it’s unfair for all those athletes, their coaches and their families to be forced to give up pursuing their dreams. U.S. althletes was barred from competing after the Soviet Union refused to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan.
4)Strained relationships EG: Cause conflicts among countries which participate in boycott with the country holding the Game.
1) They are affected by things which happen in the past before 2) They can voice out what they want 3) Unwilling to conform 4) Not Agreeing with what the country is doing 5) Influenced by news around them
Information:
Example : Beijing 2008 Olympic
Website 10 Reasons to Boycott Olympic Games in China, 6 August 2009 http://burmadigest.info/2006/10/21/ten-reasons-to-boycott-olympic-games-in-communist-china/
Activists Call for Beijing Olympics Boycott, 6 August 2009 http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=10166
Editorial: Good Reasons To Boycott Olympics, 6 August 2009 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/12/politics/uwire/main4346201.shtml
Olympic boycott call over organ claims, 6 August 2009 http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Olympic-boycott-call-over-organ-claims/2006/08/16/1155407876251.html ---------------------------
# In the 1980 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, New York, the Republic of China (Taiwan) refused to compete under the name of Chinese Taipei, and thus became the only nation to boycott the Olympic Winter Games.
With reference to Wikipedia, 6 August http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_boycotts
--------------------------- Past Olympic boycotts Last Updated Mon., March 31, 2008 By Lindsey Craig, CBC Sports
"With the eyes of the world on the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, a glance at past Olympic Games when countries withdrew from competition to make their voices heard.
1956 Melbourne Olympics * To protest against the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland withdrew from Melbourne. * In response to the Suez Crisis, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon announced they would not compete. * The People's Republic of China boycotted the Melbourne Games to retaliate against Taiwan's participation under the name "Formosa." * A total of 67 nations competed.
1976 Montreal Olympics * More than 20 African countries boycotted Montreal after New Zealand was allowed to compete. The IOC was pressured to ban New Zealand because it sent its national rugby team, the All Blacks, to play in South Africa. South Africa was banned from the Olympics from 1964 to 1988 due to its apartheid policies. In 1976, the IOC defended its decision to include New Zealand by stating that rugby was not an Olympic sport. * Taiwan also did not participate because Canada refused to recognize it as an independent nation. * Only 92 countries participated in the Montreal Games, down from 121 countries that competed in Munich 1972.
1980 Moscow Olympics * The 1980 Moscow Games saw the largest boycott in Olympic history. More than 60 nations, including Canada, refused to compete in an American-led protest against the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. As a result, only 81 countries participated.
1984 Los Angeles Olympics * To counter the boycotts of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the Soviet Union and 14 of its Eastern Bloc partners refused to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics. It cited concerns over the safety of Soviet athletes, but some saw it as revenge for the Moscow boycott. * Iran and Libya also refused to participate due to tensions with the United States. Iran was the only country to boycott both the 1980 and 1984 events. * Despite this, 140 countries took part in the Los Angeles Games.
1988 Seoul Olympics * When South Korea refused to let North Korea co-host the Games, North Korea pulled out. Cuba and Ethiopia also boycotted the event. * 159 countries competed. "
Further Support can be found at, Taken at 6 August 2009 http://olympics.pthimon.co.uk/boycotts.htm ---------------------
The opening ceremony of the 21st Olympic Games in Montreal has been marred by the withdrawal of 25 African countries
Protesting at New Zealand's sporting links with South Africa The International Olympic Committee's refusal to ban New Zealand, whose rugby team is currently touring South Africa
South Africa has been banned since 1964
Spokesperson for the New Zealand Olympic Committee said it was “illogical”
